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Can a character parry ranged attacks? I thought that you could not, but while flipping through the RUE yesterday, I read something (I can’t find it now) that indicated that you could.

I thought you could parry melee attacks, but ranged attacks had to be dodged. Is that true?

If not, what is the is purpose of ever dodging when parrying is a free action?

Samurai and certain martial arts can, also if using a Rune Weapon it can be done

Willy Elektrix wrote:Can a character parry ranged attacks? I thought that you could not, but while flipping through the RUE yesterday, I read something (I can’t find it now) that indicated that you could.

I thought you could parry melee attacks, but ranged attacks had to be dodged. Is that true?

If not, what is the is purpose of ever dodging when parrying is a free action?

The ever dodging is an equalizer to force you to use actions for defense.

Makes fighting multiple Oppenents armed with guns a challenge.

Some specific classes have the ability, but generally, no, you cannot, by the rules as written.

Only if the character has the skill and a shield (MD material or energy), then sure.

Shorty Lickens wrote:Only if the character has the skill and a shield (MD material or energy), then sure.

Do you know the penalties for parrying with a Psi shield??

Yes, I can.

Some weapons allow you to parry ranged attacks with them. The energy melee weapons from AU have that ability.
Mages kind of can with the deflect spell.

say652 wrote:

Shorty Lickens wrote:Only if the character has the skill and a shield (MD material or energy), then sure.

Do you know the penalties for parrying with a Psi shield??

-8 or -10 depending where you look.

It's a question with answers that vary depending on which point in time you ask them.

Page 346 of RUE for 'Parry' in the combat glossary says "bullets and energy attacks cannot (as a rule) be parried!"

This statement obviously does not cover all ranged attacks, since bow+arrow, crossbow, sling, thrown knives/spears/axes are not excluded here.

The plurality also, while we are sure you can't parry 2+ bullets at once or 2+ energy attacks at once, does draw into question whether or not this statement prohibits the parrying of a singular bullet or a singular energy blast.

I would say it doesn't, since Rifts has a history of being able to parry a single ranged attack, while prohibiting the parrying of bursts.

RUE does not list any penalties for parrying a singular bullet or energy blast, or to parry thrown/arrow weapons, at least not where I can remember they're located... so we may have to go to 2000's GM Guide or 2001's Conversion Book revised for those calls?

To accept them as valid also requires accepting the entirety of those books into the Ultiverse which opens new cans of worms.

Axelmania wrote:It's a question with answers that vary depending on which point in time you ask them.

Page 346 of RUE for 'Parry' in the combat glossary says "bullets and energy attacks cannot (as a rule) be parried!"

This statement obviously does not cover all ranged attacks, since bow+arrow, crossbow, sling, thrown knives/spears/axes are not excluded here.

The plurality also, while we are sure you can't parry 2+ bullets at once or 2+ energy attacks at once, does draw into question whether or not this statement prohibits the parrying of a singular bullet or a singular energy blast.

I would say it doesn't, since Rifts has a history of being able to parry a single ranged attack, while prohibiting the parrying of bursts.

RUE does not list any penalties for parrying a singular bullet or energy blast, or to parry thrown/arrow weapons, at least not where I can remember they're located... so we may have to go to 2000's GM Guide or 2001's Conversion Book revised for those calls?

To accept them as valid also requires accepting the entirety of those books into the Ultiverse which opens new cans of worms.

So by using the canon Heroes Unlimited rules of straight roll -10 is fine since I normally defer to Heroes Unlimited rulings in my games......

say652 wrote:

Axelmania wrote:It's a question with answers that vary depending on which point in time you ask them.

Page 346 of RUE for 'Parry' in the combat glossary says "bullets and energy attacks cannot (as a rule) be parried!"

This statement obviously does not cover all ranged attacks, since bow+arrow, crossbow, sling, thrown knives/spears/axes are not excluded here.

The plurality also, while we are sure you can't parry 2+ bullets at once or 2+ energy attacks at once, does draw into question whether or not this statement prohibits the parrying of a singular bullet or a singular energy blast.

I would say it doesn't, since Rifts has a history of being able to parry a single ranged attack, while prohibiting the parrying of bursts.

RUE does not list any penalties for parrying a singular bullet or energy blast, or to parry thrown/arrow weapons, at least not where I can remember they're located... so we may have to go to 2000's GM Guide or 2001's Conversion Book revised for those calls?

To accept them as valid also requires accepting the entirety of those books into the Ultiverse which opens new cans of worms.

So by using the canon Heroes Unlimited rules of straight roll -10 is fine since I normally defer to Heroes Unlimited rulings in my games......

Yes cannon HU/HU2 it would be a straight roll without bonuses and at a -10 to parry bullets and energy blasts.

Unless a GM declares the Rifts Conversion Book Revised to be non-canon to Rifts Ultimate, page 19's "Parrying Energy Blasts" is still a current rule.

It stays -10 to parry at close range within 400 feet, -12 to parry long range of greater than 500 feet.

401-499 is obviously some kind of sweet spot... RAW there would be no penalties at all there, but a realistic house rule I think would be to say it's -11.

It also says "no attribute or skill bonuses" and then "only an unmodified die roll applies".

So it's actually slightly harsher than HU, which is fine since I figured Rifts to be slightly grittier and HU slightly more cinematic.

There's also a list of exceptions to the "only an unmodified" rule. It doesn't apply to Mind Melters (no other master psi exceptions though, sorry Psi-Slayers!) and it explicitly says they can apply dodge bonuses to energy parries (noice) and PP bonuses, although in theory ANY bonus should apply.

I'm not really sure why Mind Melters are better at using vibro blades to stop lasers than Psi-Slayers, I guess they're just awesome.

Thanks for all the responses. Like all things in Rifts, this question is not as straightforward as it seems. I think I'll just rule that you can't unless your RCC/OCC or something else specifically says that you can. That seems to be the best way.

Shorty Lickens wrote:Only if the character has the skill and a shield (MD material or energy), then sure.

Does the Psi-Shield psionic ability enable a character to parry energy blasts if they have the Shield WP? Or would they still need some special ability to do that?

It sure would give the Psi-Shield some much needed value. 30 ISP to summon a shield. Wow.

Willy Elektrix wrote:Can a character parry ranged attacks? I thought that you could not, but while flipping through the RUE yesterday, I read something (I can’t find it now) that indicated that you could.

RUE states that on pg346 in the definition of "parry". However, in actual practice: It depends on the nature of the ranged attack and what you are using to parry, in addition to the what books you have available.

Missile Rules (even in RUE) allow for one to parry (rules allow one to block, which would be parry). This existed in RMB.

As mentioned some Rifts Books (Conversion Book 1) amends the rule to say you can do it, but you take penalties, which usually work out to a why bother situation, or offer classes/powers (and maybe hardware) that are gifted in the ability to parry (ex. Samurai in WB8 Japan).

Willy Electrix wrote:
If not, what is the is purpose of ever dodging when parrying is a free action?

Chance of success (you might have better Dodge Bonuses than Parry, a similar situation happens with Auto-Dodge vs Dodge or Parry, by RAW in RUE your AD is going to be lower than your regular Dodge and most likely Parry).

To parry you also need something appropriate to parry with.

Willy Electrix wrote:Does the Psi-Shield psionic ability enable a character to parry energy blasts if they have the Shield WP? Or would they still need some special ability to do that?

Actually if you read the Psi-Shield description in RUE and RMB it specifically states "The shield can not be used to parry energy blasts or projectiles" (RUE pg180, RMB pg126).

A GM could use RCB1 to override it.

If you are playing a mage you can use the spell "Deflect" to parry ranged attacks. This spell allows the spell caster to attempt to magically parry and deflect incoming ranged-weapon attacks such as arrows, bullets, lasers, particle beams, rail guns, fire balls, called lightning, etc."
The caster rolls a 20 sided die +4 for the parry attempt, plus adds any P.P. attribute bonuses but other parry bonuses do not apply.

If you are not a mage then perhaps your GM would allow you to gain some sort of TW device to allow you to do the same thing. It's a level 4 Invocation spell so it isn't anything to game shattering, IMO, especially if the TW device has the same limitations as the regular spell when it comes to use.

ShadowLogan wrote:

Willy Elektrix wrote:Can a character parry ranged attacks? I thought that you could not, but while flipping through the RUE yesterday, I read something (I can’t find it now) that indicated that you could.

RUE states that on pg346 in the definition of "parry". However, in actual practice: It depends on the nature of the ranged attack and what you are using to parry, in addition to the what books you have available.

Missile Rules (even in RUE) allow for one to parry (rules allow one to block, which would be parry). This existed in RMB.

As mentioned some Rifts Books (Conversion Book 1) amends the rule to say you can do it, but you take penalties, which usually work out to a why bother situation, or offer classes/powers (and maybe hardware) that are gifted in the ability to parry (ex. Samurai in WB8 Japan).

Willy Electrix wrote:
If not, what is the is purpose of ever dodging when parrying is a free action?

Chance of success (you might have better Dodge Bonuses than Parry, a similar situation happens with Auto-Dodge vs Dodge or Parry, by RAW in RUE your AD is going to be lower than your regular Dodge and most likely Parry).

To parry you also need something appropriate to parry with.

Willy Electrix wrote:Does the Psi-Shield psionic ability enable a character to parry energy blasts if they have the Shield WP? Or would they still need some special ability to do that?

Actually if you read the Psi-Shield description in RUE and RMB it specifically states "The shield can not be used to parry energy blasts or projectiles" (RUE pg180, RMB pg126).

A GM could use RCB1 to override it.

HU2 page 313 states Psi Shields can be used to parry energy blasts and projectiles but at a -3.

Inability to parry energy is the default of how it works. Like say if a Mystic or Psi Druid selected it as their super.

Mind Melters are better and can parry with it.